General Program Description
The PTA program consists of 20 semester credit hours of supplemental and general education courses, and 47 semester credit hours of professional courses. The PTA program’s professional courses begin fall semester (September/August) and continue for 5 semesters (20 months), including 1 summer. It is a ‘lock step’ curriculum. The professional skill courses include lecture, laboratory, and clinical learning experiences. The program includes service learning opportunities for students to participate in areas of special interest. Upon graduation, students will be eligible to apply to take the PTA licensing exam administered by the State of Texas Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners.
Clinical Experiences
In addition to the short-term clinical experience, students participate in three full-time clinical education experiences of 5-6 weeks each. These can take place in a variety of settings, including acute care hospitals, skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities, outpatient, home health and pediatric settings.
Faculty
The program consists of three licensed PT faculty with two faculty members who hold their doctorate of Physical Therapy. The core faculty is augmented with 1.0 FTE of adjunct faculty and .333 FTE of guest lecturers.
Enrollment
As of fall 2010, LSC-Montgomery had an enrollment of 12,500+ credit students. Five comprehensive colleges make up the Lone Star College System; LSC-North Harris; LSC-Montgomery; LSC-Cy-Fair; LSC-Kingwood; LSC-Tomball. The combined enrollment of the five colleges totaled approximately 69,000 students in the fall of 2010. The physical therapist assistant program plans to admit 24 to 30 students each year.
Admission
Program and admission information is available through the website and provides the most current information. Additionally, information sessions are held once a month in the district. Application packets to the program are available beginning in March and must be completed and submitted by May (specific application dates are available on the website). Minimum requirements include high school graduation or GED, minimum GPA of 2.0, evidence of ability in English and math at TSI/SSI level, and at least 40 hours of observation experience in physical therapy. Additionally, applicants must have satisfactorily completed (grade C or better) Human Anatomy and Physiology I (BIOL 2401) and Intro to Physical Therapy PTHA 1201. Ranking for admission is based on the preceding and the number of required non-professional courses completed. These are: human anatomy and physiology, 8 semester hours; psychology, 6 semester hours; and Ethics 3 semester hours. Based on this initial ranking, students will be selected for a writing sample and interview. Following the interviews, offers for program admission will be made.
Outcomes
Program is evaluated through a systematic plan of evaluation. The document can be found on the program’s website. http://www.lonestar.edu/departments/physicaltherapyasst/PTA_Program_Evaluation_Data.pdf
Tuition, fees and financial aid
In the 2011-2012 academic year, in-district resident tuition is $40.00 per credit hour and fees are $16.00 per credit hour with a $12.00 registration fee, infrastructure fee of $20, and a $17 professional liability insurance fee. Out-of-district resident tuition is $110.00 per credit hour and fees are $16.00 per credit hour with a $12.00 registration fee, infrastructure fee of $20, and a $17 professional liability insurance fee. International/out- of-state tuition is $200.00 per credit hour and fees are $16.00 per credit hour with a $12.00 registration fee, infrastructure fee of $20, and a $17 professional liability insurance fee. Financial assistance is available to qualified students.
Student life
Opened in 1995, Lone Star College-Montgomery is a comprehensive college located in 165 acres of pine forest between The Woodlands and Conroe, TX. LSC-Montgomery enrolled more than 12,500 credit students for the fall 2010 semester. LSC-Montgomery recently experienced the most significant campus expansion in its history. Three new buildings were constructed on the main campus, as well as a new north side center in the Conroe/Willis area. The college added a 75,000 square-foot academic classroom building; a 60,000 square foot health science center; a 20,000 square foot music hall, as well as a 1,000 space parking garage. An 83,000 square foot, full-service campus facility in Conroe allows the college to extend its reach to the north, where significant population growth is taking place. The new LSC-Conroe Center offers a mix of academic transfer courses and programs, as well as workforce and industrial oriented programs. All told the college increased its total square footage by almost 60 percent. The college offers more than 40 career programs as well as academic transfer courses in a variety of subjects. Programs of note include criminal justice, physical therapist assistant, biotechnology, nursing, human services, computer information technology, radiologic technologist, audio visual systems specialist, land surveyor/mapping technology, fire science and management. A comprehensive range of transfer programs, including art, music, science, history, and government is also available. LSC-Montgomery is located just footsteps away from Lone Star College University Center, which offers bachelor’s, masters and specialized degrees from three area universities in more than 38 different majors